Challenge Cup

stdClass Object ( [id] => 5 [league_name] => Challenge Cup [league_logo_id] => 0 [league_logo_url] => [parent_league_id] => 0 [wp_league_id] => 13 )

Zebre

Connacht cruise into knockouts

15 January 2023 0 comments

By DARAGH SMALL Connacht …….. 61 Brive ………………. 5 ALEX Wootton scored a hat-trick as Connacht’s bonus point win secured their place in the knockout […]

Warriors hit Perpignan for six

15 January 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Perpignan …..26 Glasgow ……….40 GLASGOW maintained their 100 per cent record in the European Challenge Cup pool stages and booked their place […]

Dragons end European drought

15 January 2023 1 comment

By ROB COLE Pau ……………….. 12 Dragons ……….. 21 DRAGONS took revenge on Pau to record a first win in European competition for more than […]

Benetton ………26 Bayonne ………… 7

15 January 2023 0 comments

BENETTON booked their place in the knockout stage of the Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over rock-bottom Bayonne in Pool B. The Italian side […]

Stade F ………… 17 Lions ……………… 7

15 January 2023 0 comments

A SECOND half horror show saw the Lions go down to Stade Francais at the Stade Jean-Bouin. The Lions completely dominated the first period but […]

Challenge Cup Friday and Saturday preview

13 January 2023 0 comments

With two Welsh sides currently dominating both of the European Challenge Cup’s 12-team pools, it’s a busy Friday and Saturday as teams’ jostling for a […]

Davidson makes history in Scarlets vs Cheetahs

12 January 2023 0 comments

Scotland’s Hollie Davidson is set to lead the first ever all-female officiating team in a men’s European rugby match this Friday. The 30-year-old will be […]

Clinical Bears go back to back

23 December 2022 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Bristol ………………….35 Zebre…………………… 19 BRISTOL Bears strengthened their chances of progression to the next stage of the Challenge Cup with a victory […]

Dragons denied at the death by TMO call

18 December 2022 1 comment

By ROB COLE Dragons …………. 21pts Tries: Roberts 28, 62 Conversions: Hanrahan 63 Penalties: Davies 3, 15, 17 Pau ………………….27pts Tries: Carol 32, Roudil 58, […]

Glasgow find it tough going to take down Perpignan

18 December 2022 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow………..26pts Tries: McLean 18, Jones 24, Pen try 66, Cancelliere 78 Conversions: Weir 19, 25 Perpignan…….. 18pts Tries: McIntyre 34, Dubois 60 […]

Parisse has too much class as Toulon give Bath lesson

18 December 2022 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Toulon ……………..29pts Tries: Wainiqolo 14, Rabut 23, Deavaux 37 Cordin 54 Conversions: Biggar 15, 24, 38 Penalties: Biggar 7 Bath …………………… 7pts […]

First-half blitz puts Scarlets on right course

18 December 2022 0 comments

By DAVID ROBERTS Cheetahs ……….26pts Tries: Hartzenberg 3, Fortuin 63, Kapepula 68, Oliver 73 Conversions: Pienaar 3, 68, 73 Scarlets ……….. 45pts Tries: Evans 11, […]

Double injury blow spoils Connacht’s awayday win

18 December 2022 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Brive …………….. 24pts Tries: Fabien 65, 75, Raffy 61 Conversions: Laranjeira 61, 66, 75 Penalties: Sanchez 9 Connacht ……… 31pts Tries: Hawkshaw […]

Adams shows he’s the man for Gatland

18 December 2022 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle……….. 10pts Tries: Stuart 44 Conversions: J Thomas 45 Penalties: J Thomas 30 Cardiff…………….. 47pts Tries: Adams 8, 55; Priestland 20, Lane […]

Breakdown will be key against Zebre, says MacGinty

18 December 2022 0 comments

Focus: AJ MacGinty FLY-HALF AJ Mac-Ginty, who will be up against former Bear Tiff Eden at Ashton Gate when Bristol take on Zebre in round […]

Scarlets looking to prove worth

11 December 2022 1 comment

Preview Scarlets v Bayonne Today. 3.15pm SCARLETS welcome Wales internationals Dane Blacker, Ryan Elias and Josh Macleod back into their starting line-up for their Challenge […]

Cardiff cruise home as Williams hits 250 in style

11 December 2022 0 comments

By SIMON ROBERTS Cardiff…………… 41pts Tries: Dacey 4, 18; Adams 22, L Williams 48, T Williams 60, Grady 77, Cabango 80 Conversions: Evans 5, 19, […]

Weir keeps his cool to guide Glasgow home

11 December 2022 0 comments

By HAMISH STUART Bath………………….. 19pts Tries: White 22, Lee-Warner 28, Gallagher 61 Conversions: Francis 29, 62 Glasgow……………22pts Tries: Bean 3, Turner 15, Jones 38 Conversions: […]

Relief for Moriarty after he loses head

11 December 2022 2 comments

By MATT LLOYD Lions………………. 31pts Tries: Lombard 15, Ntlabakanye 30, van der Merwe 44, 48 Conversions: Lombard 10, 30; Hendrikse 44, 48 Penalties: Lombard 4 […]

Walder: We couldn’t put them under any pressure

11 December 2022 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Connacht……….22pts Tries: Boyle 4, Byrne 37, Killgallen 77 Conversions: Hawkshaw 4, 38 Penalties: Hawkshaw 60 Newcastle………. 8pts Tries: Earle 25 Penalties: Schoeman […]

Zebre……………….. 21 Toulon…………….. 24

11 December 2022 1 comment

GAEL Drean’s 71st minute try won the match for Toulon against a plucky Zebre side. The visitors made a strong start and after consecutive penalties […]

Pau…………………… 16 Cheetahs………… 21

11 December 2022 2 comments

SOUTH African franchise the Cheetahs made a victorious start to their Challenge Cup campaign as they edged Top 14 strugglers Pau. Clement Mondinant opened the […]

Stade Fr……………24 Benetton………… 14

11 December 2022 0 comments

STADE Francais produced a stunning second half to overcome a resilient Benetton at the Stade Jean-Bouin on Friday. In a turgid first period, it was […]

Crane delight as Bears put on ‘best show of the season’

11 December 2022 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Perpignan………. 5pts Tries: Shahn 40 Bristol Bears… 19pts Tries: Piutau 3, Harding 11, Jenkins 34 Conversions: MacGinty 4, 12 JORDAN Crane saluted […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixture lists: Premiership sides set to head to South Africa

21 July 2022 0 comments

The round-by-round fixtures for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournament have been announced. Teams were split into four tiers for […]

European draws set for 28 June

20 June 2022 0 comments

The pool draws for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will be held at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 28 June, EPCR confirmed […]

Five South African clubs enter Europe next season

2 June 2022 1 comment

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup organisers have announced five South African club sides will play in European competition next season. The Stormers, Bulls and Sharks, […]

At last! Long wait is over for elated Lyon

29 May 2022 1 comment

By BEN JAYCOCK Lyon ………………..30pts Tries: Couilloud 7, Penalty 45, Barassi 47 Conversions: Berdeu 9, 49 Penalties: Berdeu 20, 59, Ngatai 69 Toulon …………….12pts Tries: […]

Taufua: We won on our defence

29 May 2022 0 comments

LYON captain Jordan Taufua was delighted with the historic win and credited his side’s resilient defence in matching Toulon’s physicality. He said: “Full credit to […]

Europe’s elite clubs are facing trip into unknown

29 May 2022 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE European Cup final in Marseille was not billed as a watershed moment, but Europe’s elite club […]

Couilloud can push Dupont all the way

29 May 2022 1 comment

ON THE evidence of Baptiste Couilloud’s command performance in Lyon’s 30-12 European Challenge Cup victory over Toulon in Marseille, they have a scrum-half capable of […]

Griffiths departure will suit top agents

29 May 2022 0 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER THE departure of Bath chairman Eddie Griffiths last week was certainly welcomed by some of the country’s leading player […]

Jones and his team enjoy French trip

29 May 2022 0 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER EDDIE Jones and his coaching team cannot pick players who play outside the Premiership, but that didn’t stop them […]

Blindside on the money – again

29 May 2022 1 comment

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER BLINDSIDE continues to deliver the very best in transfer news – and last week brought confirmation of two moves […]

Dolphins lining up injury-hit Radradra for Aussie return

29 May 2022 0 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDEBY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Deal: Semi Radradra joined the Bears in 2020 SEMI Radradra is being lined up by […]

Treviso in move for James

29 May 2022 1 comment

ON THE BLIND SIDEBY NEILFISSLER SALE Sharks outside centre Sam James is locked in talks with Italian outfit Treviso about making the switch to the […]

Chinnor to take Marshall from Saints

29 May 2022 0 comments

AMBITIOUS National League One outfit Chinnor have landed Reece Marshall, who last week it was announced was being released by Northampton Saints when his contract […]

Fine XV of England selection oversights

29 May 2022 2 comments

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Eddie Jones is hardly the first England coach to take an unusually gifted player to one side and leave him there, […]

Homer’s odyssey was a PR disaster

29 May 2022 1 comment

RUGBY’S authorities, such as they are, should be throwing the book at the seven-a-siders from England and Argentina who dragged their sport through the mire […]

Cheslin Kolbe returns in time for Challenge Cup Final

26 May 2022 0 comments

Springbok superstar Cheslin Kolbe returns for Toulon in time for their European Challenge Cup final against Lyon at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Despite both […]

Kpoku chasing dream finish

15 May 2022 1 comment

FORMER Saracens lock Joel Kpoku is dreaming of lifting some silverware with Lyon after a powerful performance in the victory over Wasps. The young forward, […]

Max Malins stars as Saracens overcome spirited Cardiff side to set up quarter-final with Gloucester

17 April 2022 0 comments

Saracens……40 Cardiff……….33 Max Malins starred as Saracens overcame a spirited Cardiff fightback in an entertaining game at the StoneX Stadium. The victory set up an […]

Edinburgh’s second half charge sinks sorry Bath

17 April 2022 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh ……..41ptsTries: Boffelli 10, 63, Kinghorn 31, Schoeman 53, Bennett 69, Boyle 78Conversions: Boffelli 32, 54, 64, 79Penalties: Boffelli 23Bath ………………..19ptsTries: Underhill […]

Saints at sea after Biggar’s red card

17 April 2022 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ……..31ptsTries: Thorley 4, Rapava-Ruskin 7, Alemanno 21, Socino 47Conversions: Hastings 4, 7, 21, 47Penalties: Hastings 52 Northampton….21ptsTries: Augustus 32, Hutchinson 38, […]

Barbeary hat-trick as fast-starting Wasps hold off fierce French fightback

17 April 2022 1 comment

By JAMES HARRINGTON Biarritz …………..29ptsTries: Peyresblanques 28, Hirigoyen 42, Soury 68, Armitage 57Conversions: Bosch 43, 58, 68Penalties: Bosch 14 Wasps …………….39ptsTries: Umaga 11, Barbeary 14, […]

Jaded Falcons sent crashing

17 April 2022 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Newcastle ……..17ptsTries: Montgomery 51, Hodgson 65Conversions: Connon 52, 66Penalties: Connon 28 Glasgow …………27ptsTries: Matthews 4, Steyn 7, 58; McKay 31Conversions: Thompson 5, […]

Warriors fall short but get plaudits from Diamond

17 April 2022 0 comments

By TOM SHEEDY Lyon ………………..31pts Tries: Couilloud 5, Taofifenua 16, Devisme 48, Barassi 77 Conversions: Sopoaga 6, 17, 49; Berdeu 79 Penalties: Berdeu 58 Worcester […]

Carbonel puts the boot into Benetton

17 April 2022 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Toulon …………36Benetton ……..27TOULON will face London Irish in the semi-finals after they comfortably beat Benetton to book their place in the final […]

Clinical first half sets up 10-try win for Irish

17 April 2022 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD London Irish ….64ptsTries: Creevy 6, 24; Rona 18, Pearson 34, Gonzalez 36, Rowe 39, Rogerson 71, Joseph 75, Cornish 78, Van Rensburg […]

Saracens dig deep to find a gem in Christie

17 April 2022 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Saracens v Cardiff Today. Kick-off 1pm, StoneX Stadium THE season Saracens spent in the Championship allowed them to scrutinise players who […]